


Through Time: Taylor Earhardt

by Guardian_of_Hope



Series: Strangers are Friends [4]
Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Wild Force
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-13
Updated: 2011-06-13
Packaged: 2017-10-20 09:43:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/211405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardian_of_Hope/pseuds/Guardian_of_Hope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taylor Earhardt, Yellow Wildforce Ranger</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_The plane was flying smoothly, much to Taylor's disappointment. She liked it when the plane jumped, it made it more exciting. She leaned against the window and stared outside, thinking of the story of Animaria and the Princess. Suddenly, through a break in the clouds, she saw something, land. She turned, "Mommy is the plane landing yet?"_

" _Not just yet," her mother said._

" _Then what's," Taylor turned back to the window, but the land was gone. "I thought I saw the ground."_

" _Maybe you saw the Animarium," her mother offered with an indulgent smile._

" _Really?" Taylor asked, turning to stare out the window again._

"It's Tanya Sloan with KWIND, good morning Southern California. The temperature is 72 degrees and rising, it looks like it's going to be another bright and sunny day."

Taylor jerked awake and groaned as her hand connected with the alarm. Six am was too early, and it made her wonder why she was in the Air Force. Then she rolled out of bed and smiled, because she was flying today. She wrapped her old and ratty bathrobe around her as she stuck her feet in her slippers and headed for the coffee. Tabby, her calico, was waiting on the counter, and took her arrival as a signal to demand breakfast. "Hush," Taylor told her, grabbing a mug and filling it from her automatic coffeemaker. "I'll feed you in a minute." She picked up the bear salt shaker and poured the contents into her coffee. It was a mix of powdered creamer and sugar, and it was easier to fill the novelty shakers her mother kept giving her with them than measuring out each time she had a cup. After drinking for a moment, Taylor felt awake enough to open a can of cat food and put it on the floor. Tabby jumped down and began to eat. Taylor grabbed a toaster scramble from the freezer and dropped it in the toaster as she sat at the table, staring out into the predawn world as her brain began to wake up. After eating, Taylor showered, brushed her teeth and dressed in her uniform; it was time for another day chasing clouds.

Today, Taylor was assigned a routine training flight at 0900, so it was still cool when she climbed into her jet. Take off was a breeze and then the moment that Taylor was really looking for; the moment when she was no longer bound to the earth, but instead was free to play amongst the clouds. As she turned south to fly over Turtle Cove, she noticed that the radio's promise of a sunny day was almost accurate. There were clouds, but not so many that Taylor could go to the limits of her jet's capabilities. Her captain led them into the clouds, and Taylor shook her head, this was a good way to get lost.

Suddenly, her radar began to beep a collision warning. "Captain," she began.

"I see it," Captain Morgan replied.

"What is it?" Korrigan asked.

"I wasn't being literal," Morgan said.

"No, but I see it," Taylor said. And she could, it was rising up beside her plane, a bright yellow eagle. "Captain you wouldn't believe this if you were the one seeing this."

"What is it Earhardt?" Morgan asked.

"A giant, yellow eagle," Taylor replied. "Twice as long as my jet, incredible wing span; I can't tell if it's a machine or alive." The eagle screamed, loud enough that Taylor could hear it through her helmet even, then banked away. "It's moving away, sir, I'm following."

"Careful Earhardt," Morgan warned.

"Always," Taylor said. That snort was Haskins, who had served with her on the flight carrier the year before. She banked her plane to follow the eagle, and in minutes, the clouds cleared. "Captain Morgan," Taylor said.

Her radio squawked and then a shrill tone emerged, causing Taylor to yank the cord from the radio with a violent curse. She looked up and yelled as she swerved the plane around the Eagle, which was now heading for her. That reminded her of what she'd seen, and she glanced down. Sure enough, there was an island of land floating below her, in the shape of a turtle. Taylor banked the plane to see more, but the instruments began to beep. Then the alarms began to sound. Taylor considered everything, but then the engine went out. Taylor took a deep breath as the second engine went out, closed her eyes and ejected.

For a long minute, she floated in the air, and then the eagle flew up beneath her and hovered, letting her landing on its back. Taylor stared down in wonder as the eagle spiraled down to land on the floating island, on the edge of a large plain. She walked down the Eagle's back, and slipped the last few feet. Then she ran around to look up at it, "Thank you," she called with a wave, shrugging out of her parachute.

"Greetings," someone said behind her.

Taylor spun and found a woman in a white dress, with a flower crown, looking at her. "Who are you?" She demanded, hand dropping for the gun she carried in her pocket.

"I am Princess Shayla," the woman said with a smile. "Welcome to the Animarium. Are you one of the new Warriors?"

"I'm sorry," Taylor said, "but I don't know what you're talking about." She slipped her hand in her pocket, but instead of the gun, she found something, it felt like a ball.

"This is the Animarium, the sanctuary of the Wild Zords." Princess Shayla said.

Taylor shook her head, "Look, I don't know what you're talking about; really, the Animarium? That's a fairytale. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Turtle Cove." She glanced up at the sun to orient herself, and then headed off, heading east of true north. If nothing else, she'd find the highway.

"Wait," Princess Shayla said. Taylor turned, crossing her arms, "Please, I have been in an enchanted sleep for a long time. I have only awakened because the world is in danger. You have come here because you can help me."

"How?" Taylor asked, thinking, _besides calling the nice men in the white coats._

"You have an animal crystal," Shayla said, "given his actions to save you; it is possibly the Eagle Zord's."

Taylor stared at Shayla has her hand went into her pocket. The round object was still there and she pulled it out. Crystal was a good word for it, it wasn't glass, and its yellow tint was distinctive. There was little doubt that the figure inside was the Eagle Zord. "This?" She asked.

"Yes," Shayla said. "Wait but a moment." She turned and ran into the forest.

Taylor looked around the clearing, and was hard pressed to keep her mouth closed as a large black creature wandered out of the forest, followed by a red lion. They wandered across the plain to what Taylor could barely make out as a lake. It was incredible. She'd never dreamed of a place like this before. "Here," Shayla said, "what is your name?"

"Oh, I'm Taylor," Taylor said, turning to the Princess.

Shayla held out a mass of yellow cloth to Taylor, "It is an honor to meet you Taylor. These are for you. Your Wild Force jacket and growl phone."

Taylor took the cloth, and spotted a cell phone on top, "Let me guess, this is the growl phone."

"Yes," Shayla said, "it will allow you to become the yellow Wild Force Ranger."

"Yellow," Taylor said, slipping the phone into her flight suite, "my favorite color." She held up the material, which turned out to be a vest, with what had to be the Wild Force logo on it. Along with the words, "Soaring Eagle". She folded the vest up, "This is great, but how does this work. I mean, I do need to get back, I'm sure they're worried about me."

"I will call you," Shayla said, "when I need you."

"Ok," Taylor said, figuring that if the woman was giving her a cell phone, then she'd know how to use it.

"To return to your home, simple walk into the forest and think of where you wish to be. You will come out in the nearest grove of trees," Shayla said, "that is part of the magic of the Animarium. To return, simple walk into a grove and think of here. The Yellow Eagle and I will await your return."

"Yes, Princess," Taylor said, still not sure if she believed the woman.

Taylor walked into the forest as Shayla had told her to and back to a world that had changed in the short time she'd been in the clouds. No sooner had she walked up to the base that people from some group called Lightspeed Rescue showed up to transfer her from the Air Force. She was ordered to stay in Turtle Cove for the time being. Taylor didn't meet anyone from Lightspeed, but it was clear that she was expected to do nothing while assigned to their operation. A letter that arrived two days later explained that she was a power ranger, employed by the military and therefore under the jurisdiction of Lightspeed. Her paychecks and such would come from Lightspeed and when her time as a Ranger was done, she would be returned to the Air Force.

Two days after that, Taylor morphed and took on an Org for the first time. The creature was easy to destroy, but a clear lesson to Taylor's ability to believe. For the next year, Taylor focused on the Animarium, and the battle against the Orgs. She moved to the Animarium, to be there when she was needed.

Then one day, Taylor came back from buying food to find a girl standing in the middle of the plain, flanked by the White Tiger, a Zord that had proven elusive. "Hello," Taylor said, "I'm Taylor."

"I'm Alyssa."


	2. Chapter 2

Taylor watched Alyssa over the top of her paper, as the new White Ranger studied. As the other girl started to look up, Taylor dropped her eyes to the story on the Air Force she'd been trying to read. "Will you _please_ stop staring at me?" Alyssa demanded.

"What?" Taylor asked.

"You've been staring at me since I got back from class. I wish you'd stop," Alyssa replied.

"Sorry," Taylor said, "I'm just trying to figure out why you insist on juggling school and being a Ranger."

"Does it matter?" Alyssa asked, "It's not like you have to do anything."

Taylor dropped her papers on the table, "My job, right now, is being a Power Ranger."

"Really? Did you just quit your last job?" Alyssa replied.

"No," Taylor said. "I'm in the Air Force; I just got reassigned for the duration of my time as a Power Ranger." She shrugged, "Officially, I'm with Lightspeed, but I'm supposed to be here. It's so that the brass in Washington have their paper trail. It's not like my pay change when I got a morpher."

"You're getting paid?" Alyssa said. Taylor thought she was impressed and appalled.

"I'm not doing this to get paid," Taylor said, "I'm doing it because it's right. The fact that I'm getting paid by the government is just a bonus. Besides, I have to live somehow. It's not like there's much in the way of food on the Animarium."

"Right," Alyssa said, "I'm living on my loan money and scholarships." She trailed off, "I wonder if there's a scholarship for Rangers."

"Given that we don't want to advertise our identities, what would be the point?" Taylor asked."

"People know that you're a Ranger," Alyssa pointed out.

"But they don't know you are," Taylor replied. She shifted in her seat, "Part of my job is to write reports on any orgs we battle. Officially, you're Lady White, or The Noble Tiger. Lightspeed isn't happy with it, but Mitchell took my side on the matter. Unless you want me to tell them who you are, you're anonymous."

"Thanks for that, I guess," Alyssa said. She closed her book and tilted her head, "How is it that we've known each other for almost three months and I didn't know this?"

The fountain burbled, and the two girls turned as Shayla hurried out of the temple. "There's an org attack," Shayla announced. "It's in the park."

"Let's go," Taylor said, pushing herself to her feet, Alyssa right behind her.

"Wild Access," the girls shouted in unison.

This org bore a very distinct resemblance to bulldozer. It was attacking a young man who was trying to fight it off. "Hey!" Taylor shouted, "Leave him alone!"

The org turned from the man and went after Taylor, while Alyssa went after the young man, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," said the young man. "What is that thing?"

"A monster," Alyssa replied, "You'd better get out of here, ok? Let us handle this."

"No problem lady," the man said, before spinning and running into the forest.

Alyssa summoned her Tiger Baton and leaped to help Taylor.

After the battle, the two Rangers returned to the Animarium, powering down as soon as the island's ancient trees surrounded them. About to comment on how peaceful it was, Alyssa opened her mouth; "Do you hear that?" Taylor asked.

Alyssa frowned, and listened. "Someone's shouting," she said, finally.

"Let's go," Taylor said, breaking into a run. Alyssa groaned, but followed.

The young man they'd rescued from the Org was standing in the clearing before Shayla's temple. Shayla herself was clearly trying to calm him down, but his voice was cracking, "I want to go back!" He demanded.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Taylor said, exchanging a glance with Alyssa. "Who are you?"

"Max Cooper," the young man replied. "Who are you?"

"We'll get to that," Taylor said, cutting Alyssa off. "My next question is, do you have one of these?" She held up her animal crystal as she approached him.

"This?" Max held up a blue one.

"Yup," Taylor said. "That means you're supposed to be here kid. But if you don't want to, feel free to leave. We've been handling things just fine."

"Handling what? Why am I supposed to be here?" Max asked.

"You said you wanted to go home," Taylor pointed out, "it's entirely possible. I'm sure my partner wouldn't mind walking you back, right?" She looked at Alyssa.

"Right," Alyssa said.

"Where am I?" Max demanded, "What is going on?"

"We'll need the crystal back, though," Taylor continued, as if Max hadn't spoken. "Since you don't want to be here, we'll have to find someone else."

"I just want to know what's going on," Max replied, frustrated.

"That's easy," Taylor said, "you've been chosen to be a Power Ranger. Wild Force Blue, judging by the crystal."

"Me?" Max said.

"Unless you stole the crystal, yes you," Taylor said. She held up her hand, "If you say, 'why me?' I will regretfully have to smack you upside the head."

"Taylor, stop it," Alyssa said, "Max, I'm Alyssa, and this is Taylor, that's Princess Shayla. This is the Animarium, it's a sanctuary for special beings called the Wild Zords. You've been given that animal crystal because you're supposed to be a Power Ranger with us. We fight beings like that monster in the park. They're called orgs and they've been fighting against people like us for three thousand years."

"Give or take a year or two," Taylor interjected.

"I'm supposed to be a Power Ranger?" Max said, as if he couldn't understand the words. Taylor now understood the phrase, "he looked as if someone had hit him in the back of the head with a board."

"That was what I was trying to tell you," Shayla said, her normally naïve calm was clearly almost gone. She held out a blue bundle, "This is your vest and growl phone, if you are willing to be a ranger."

"Uh, yeah, yeah, of course," Max replied, taking them from Shayla with shaking hands.

"Once your brain is working," Taylor said, "we'll introduce you to your Wild Zord."

"And get you settled," Alyssa added. "We'll need to get another cot."

"I've already did my shopping duties this week," Taylor said, "and I've got stuff I need to do." She gave Alyssa a significant look.

"I was referring to Max and me," Alyssa replied, although she turned enough that Max couldn't see her wrinkle her nose at Taylor and mouth "Be nice." Taylor smirked slightly, and Alyssa rolled her eyes before walking over to stand closer to Max.

Taylor could hear her easily as Alyssa murmured, "Don't worry, Max. Taylor's bark is worse than her bite." Taylor decided to let that one go. There would be other opportunities to try to get under Alyssa's skin.


	3. Chapter 3

Taylor mentally sighed with relief as she entered the Animarium, pulling the handcart of groceries behind her. Spending a day on the Air Force base, seeing the planes she could no longer fly, and stuck in her formal uniform, was torture. However, she needed to get her reports filed, and the shopping needed to be done. Not for the first time, Taylor was glad her home backed up to a forest, so it was easy for her to have her morning coffee, and to keep things like milk and ice cream readily available. Hearing laughter ahead, she tried to determine if Alyssa would be back from classes yet. There hadn't been an attack, so, Taylor checked her watch; Alyssa should still be in class. This summer, Alyssa was only retaking a science course she'd failed due to an org attack during the final, and a math class she hadn't wanted to take during her crowded semester.

Rounding the path to the clearing with the temple, Taylor stopped dead. Alyssa wasn't there, but Max and Shayla were entertaining another young man. He wore a black Wild Force vest. "You know," she said, sending Max and Shayla silent, "I know I said that I didn't want to be contacted unless it was an org attack, but I would have thought that a new teammate would be vital information to have."

"Danny just showed up," Max said, hurriedly.

"I called you fifteen minutes ago to make sure we didn't need anything else, you couldn't mention this?" Taylor said, letting go of the handcart and crossing her arms over her chest.

"He showed up right after your call," Shayla said, "I knew you would be here soon enough and did not wish to disturb you while you were…driving." The word was said in the same manner that one said, "bungee jumping" or "sky diving", or perhaps, "recklessly endangering your life by doing something no one sane would even attempt."

Taylor nodded, "All right, what's your name?"

"Danny," the man said, "Danny Delgado."

"I'm Taylor," Taylor replied, "Yellow Eagle. I'm something like the leader around here." She gave Max a look, and the Blue Ranger squirmed slightly. "I didn't want you to think you were unwelcome. I just don't like surprises."

"Me either," Danny said.

"Now that that's over with," Taylor said, "Max, deal with these groceries. I already restocked my house." She had been tempted to call Max to help her when she'd gotten to her house, but with the cake on the front seat, she hadn't wanted to chance him finding out. "I have some phone calls to make, I'll be back up later." She turned and headed back to her house.

By the time Alyssa pulled her car in beside Taylor's, Taylor was on a step ladder hanging up blue streamers in her dining room. "Looks good," Alyssa commented.

"Yeah," Taylor said, "I only almost fell off four times so far."

"What happened?" Alyssa asked.

"We have a new Ranger," Taylor replied, getting off the ladder. "His name is Danny Delgado, he's our black ranger. Shayla and Max are keeping him entertained."

"That's good," Alyssa said, "what can I do to help you?"

"Do you think you could set the table? I just have to attach this banner and I'm done." Taylor said

"Sure," Alyssa said, "paper plates, or real ones?"

"Real ones," Taylor said, "I balanced throwing out the paper ones to washing real ones, and figured that real ones were a better choice."

"All right," Alyssa said.

"Hey, check and see if I got the right soda for you," Taylor called as she pulled the banner out of the cloth bag on the table. She moved the step ladder and climbed up.

"Its fine," Alyssa said as she carried in a stack of plates. "I'm more a fan of Barq's than Mug, but root beer is root beer in the end."

"Good," Taylor said, "I couldn't remember the brand, but I figured if I got non-generic I'd be ok."

"What are we going to do about Danny?" Alyssa asked.

"He's team," Taylor replied, "It's not like we can take him to Rangers'R'Us and give him back."

"No, I mean, he doesn't know its Max's birthday." Alyssa said.

"Crap," Taylor muttered as she climbed off the ladder. "He'll need a cot, too. I'll run back to the mall and get that other CD Max wanted and hit the sporting goods store. If Danny feels bad, he can pay me back later."

"All right," Alyssa said. "Anything else I can do?"

"Keep Max out of my house? I'll need an hour," Taylor said, she put the step ladder in the utility room and grabbed her purse.

An hour later, Taylor called Alyssa, "Bring them down," she said and hung up. The dining room was set up for the birthday dinner, Max's favorite BBQ, presents were in the kitchen with the cake, and the freezer was stocked with ice cream. As Taylor started pouring drinks, someone knocked on the back door. "Come in," Taylor said over her shoulder.

It was Danny, looking nervous, "Alyssa said I should come in first."

"That's ok," Taylor said, "today is Max's birthday, we're throwing him a party."

"Oh," Danny said.

"There's a present with your name on it for him," Taylor continued. "It was ten bucks if you feel the need to pay me back."

"Ok," Danny said, "you didn't have to do that."

"What kind of soda do you want? We've got Sprit, root beer and Pepsi, and ice tea." Taylor said.

"Tea, please," Danny replied.

"Great," Taylor said, she poured a second glass, "can you grab two and take them in the dining room. Alyssa, Shayla and Max are probably waiting outside."

"Sure," Danny said,

They were putting the last of the drinks on the table when the kitchen door opened, "In the dining room," Alyssa was saying.

Taylor crossed her arms and watched as Max stepped into the room, "Happy birthday kid," she said simply.

"How did you know?" Max asked.

"You told me," Alyssa said. "We've got BBQ, cake and ice cream."

"Don't forget the presents," Taylor added.

"Man, this is great," Max said, "Thanks."


	4. Chapter 4

Alyssa, Max and Danny were enjoying the warmth of the Animarium as they sat around the wooden table Taylor had dragged up from her back yard. Alyssa was "studying" math, while Danny worked on a Sudoku puzzle and Max read a magazine. The wind blew just enough to keep them cool, while the sun warmed the air. "So where is Taylor?" Danny asked.

"She had to go to the base," Alyssa replied, "her reports are due."

"Is it just me or does she really not like us?" Max said, glancing up from his magazine.

"She likes you," Alyssa said, "she's just hard to read sometimes."

"Hard to read," Max said, "you're joking, right?"

"No," Alyssa replied. "Taylor likes all three of us; she's just not the sort of person who hands out hugs and smiles like they were nothing."

"Why?" Max asked, "Why do you think she's like that?"

Alyssa shrugged, "Taylor doesn't really talk about herself, but I think that a part of it is being a woman in the military. She's probably had to be more macho than the guys to fit in. I think another part of it is natural inclination. Some people just aren't open about everything."

Suddenly, the Lion Zord began to roar, loudly, almost joyfully. Shayla came flying out of the temple, turning so that she could see the Lion on his cliff. "What is it, Princess?" Max asked.

"Lion says that the holder of his animal crystal is near," Shayla replied. "He wishes to go find him."

"He can't," Alyssa said.

"Shayla, he'll listen to you, right?" Taylor said, startling the group. "Tell him that we will look for the animal crystal for him."

"How?" Max asked.

"I can look in the pool," Shayla said.

"And we can split up and search Turtle Cove," Taylor said. "Gas stations, hotels, the bus station, airport. All places a visitor will go. Shayla can check the park and the wild areas."

"I will calm down the Lion Zord," Shayla said.

"And we'd best get started," Taylor replied. She didn't really look at Alyssa, Max or Danny; for fear that she would give away just how much of their conversation she had heard. It didn't surprise her that Max and Danny didn't know that she liked them. Well, as much as she liked anyone, really. All the same, she wasn't sure she liked the fact that Alyssa had been blurting out everything she knew.

The first day was a bust, they searched everywhere they could think of, but didn't identify anyone who looked like a future red ranger. Then, they got lucky. The animal crystal set off the fountain during the night, showing them the Tarzan-like crystal holder as he rescued animals from a shelter.

They knew it would take too much time if this Red Ranger, whom Shayla said the Lion Zord said was named Cole, came to the Animarium on his own, so the next morning they went after him. That might not have been the best idea. Taylor got an earful from Alyssa on that one, "You punched him," she said, "just like that. Why didn't you let us convince him?"

"Because, it was too open," Taylor said, "what if someone saw us who was too curious for their own good?"

"You don't know that would have happened," Alyssa pointed out.

"Now, we don't have to worry about it, because Jungle Boy's up here." Taylor replied, leaning against a ruined temple wall.

"I can't reason with you, can I?" Alyssa threw her hands up.

Taylor opened her mouth to respond, but Cole was there, and Shayla was introducing them.

Taylor bit her tongue a lot in the beginning, although from the looks Alyssa, Danny, Max and even Shayla gave her, she wasn't being as diplomatic as she could have been. She didn't complain, or whine, or let on that she was jealous at how quickly everyone accepted Cole's position as leader, at least, not to the extent that she really wanted to. She had learned a long time ago that it wouldn't do any good. At the same time, Taylor tried to help Cole without seeming like it. She knew they needed him, and they needed his abilities. In her first year as a Ranger, Shayla had once told Taylor about how the Power could affect her. She had joked about having a psychic hotline, but had never noticed any changes. She saw them Alyssa, who, the more time she spent with the Tiger Zord, had become more confident, a huntress in her own right, but with a degree of empathy that had eluded Taylor. Max had changed, attaining a more cynical view of things. His battle skills were adapting to his Shark Zord's nature. Danny, well, Taylor hadn't been around Danny enough to see the change, beyond the Bison Ranger's strength.

Cole was different, he had a gift that Taylor couldn't really understand, but couldn't deny. He connected with the Zords on a different level than she had. Where she had spent time talking to Eagle Zord, Cole had conversations. Having watched them, Taylor couldn't doubt that Red Lion talked to Cole. It was one more thing Taylor envied him for. At least, until Cole told her that Eagle Zord liked the way Taylor talked to her. The Zord, apparently, felt that Taylor had kept too much inside before coming to the Animarium, and if Taylor planned to confide in her, well, the Eagle Zord wasn't going to tell stories.

Learning to fly with Eagle Zord was another thing she cherished. It had been painful, to be restricted to the ground for so long. And Eagle Zord was so much more than even the fighter jets Taylor had flown. In the air, in Eagle Zord's cockpit, Taylor began to understand how Cole talked to Red Lion. It was as if there was a steady stream of thoughts between Taylor and Eagle Zord, some emotions, occasionally pictures, but more, a mutual understanding of where to go and how to get there.

After a few months, and under pressure, Taylor could even admit that she _liked_ the half-wild Red Ranger; as much as she liked anyone, of course.

Then came Merrick.


	5. Chapter 5

Taylor followed the Princess to Merric, but did not confront him. Instead, she watched him and she watched her team. The hope they had in Merric joining them worried her. Not that the Wolf Ranger wasn't good in a fight, but he was unpredictable. Finally, Taylor entered Willie's Roadhouse, it was empty, but for Merric, who was playing pool by himself. "Merric," she said, "I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Merric asked, barely looking at her.

"About whether you are a part of Wild Force or not," Taylor replied.

"What do you mean?" Merric said, standing up and leaning against the pool table.

"You need to decide," Taylor said, "Either you're our teammate or not. You wear the jacket, you have the morpher, certainly you've been helping us, but I'm not sure your heart is in it. Cole and the others are beginning to depend on you being a part of our team. I won't deny that I'd like to feel the same way, but if you're going to take off and not be there, I'd like to know. How dependable are you? When things get tough are you running or staying?"

"Why do you ask this?" Merric asked.

"Because, I'm not going to get hurt by trusting someone who isn't going to be there when I need them," Taylor replied. "You don't want to be on the Animarium, fine. I certainly don't spend all my time up there, none of us really do. It would be nice if you came by, though. Shayla worries about you."

Merric looked into her face, and then straightened up, "Taylor, Yellow Wild Force, as I pledge to Princess Shayla, I also pledge to you. For however long Wild Force needs me, I will be there."

Taylor nodded, and when the next battle came and Merric was there, she relaxed a little. She didn't let her guard down, but it was certainly nice when Merric came up to the Animarium and they could spend time as a team. She never told anyone, but Taylor never felt right when Merric wasn't with them, or when one of the others made to leave the Animarium. She wouldn't admit it, but it reflected in her attitude. Although with that _Silver Guardian_ Eric Myers, that was his fault, he rubbed her the wrong way.

Katie, on the other hand, Taylor liked. Not the other Yellow's naturally cheerful nature, but how, when the two of them were the first one up, Taylor saw Katie looking at each of her teammates before doing anything else. "I think I like them best asleep," Katie murmured as she joined Taylor at the cook fire.

Taylor snorted, "I agree."

"Don't get me wrong," Katie said, "I care for all of them, but still, it's nice when they're quiet."

"I agree," Taylor said.

"I'm surprised Merric doesn't stay up here," Katie said after a moment.

"He works in the evenings, well, until early morning at least. It's been easier for him to sleep at the Roadhouse instead of here." Taylor replied. "We see him often enough."

"Sounds like Eric," Katie said, "he had his own place. It always felt weird, though."

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked.

"Once he was part of the team, it never felt right that he would go home and not stay at the clock tower." Katie said, "No one else ever mentioned it, but…"

"I know what you're talking about," Taylor said. "It feels like that when Merric isn't here. Why is that?"

"I don't know," Katie replied. "There aren't many Rangers in the future. Between our predecessor, SPD and now Time Force, we haven't had the kind of evil that you face. There isn't much call for people to have morphers. I think the only reason we keep ours is because of the DNA lock. They can't take our morphers."

"Do you expect them to do something?" Taylor asked.

"We've planned for it," Katie replied, softly. "The only thing I don't know is how we'll be able to blend into the past."

Taylor frowned a moment, and looked over at Alyssa, who was just starting to roll over. "Talk to Alyssa. There's some sort of Ranger relocation and refugee program she's working with. I don't know all the details, but if you guys need new identities, she might be able to help."

"I'll mention it to Jen," Katie said, she shrugged, "I've never been a fan of history. I mean, I know that this time period is full of fighting and intrigue, but I don't remember all the details."

Taylor nodded towards Alyssa as the white ranger approached, "Do you know how weird it is for you to call this _history_ by the way? For us, this is the present."

"And I'm from the future," Katie agreed with a soft laugh, "I might know something about that." At Taylor's look, she added, "It might have been a dream, but I spent time in Silver Hills during the 1800s, about a week or so. They were building the clock tower that we lived in last year."

"I can't say that has ever happened to me," Taylor replied.

"What are you guys talking about?" Jen asked.

And just like that, everyone was awake and it was time for their battle against the MuteOrgs.

Later, Taylor would think about that conversation, especially about the wrongness of a teammate being apart from the team; especially when the Moon Mission happened. At least the other Rangers were used to her being bad tempered. She suspected that Alyssa thought it was worry that sharpened her tongue, but it was the feeling that Cole was so far away and he needed to be in Turtle Cove, because they were fighting a war and without their Red Ranger, they were, at best, at half strength.

The day they destroyed Master Org and Princess Shayla took the Animarium and the Wild Zords away, Taylor felt something in her snap. As she looked at her teammates, she found that while she still felt them, there was an echo she had grown used to that was gone. Cole, looking over at her, smiled sadly, "I can't hear the Wild Zords either."

Taylor blinked; it hadn't even occurred to her that she'd been hearing the Wild Zords. "I didn't know," she said finally. It was enough, Cole understood, even if the others looked puzzled.


End file.
